


Itachi and Obito - Pearl Thread

by RoeDusk



Series: Tapestry - Prologue [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 20:56:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11216127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoeDusk/pseuds/RoeDusk
Summary: In the aftermath of the Massacre.





	1. Distortion

There was a lingering unease at the back of Itachi’s mind, a hint that something wasn’t quite right. Most days he attributed it to the Massacre, lingering loss that he would never shake. Culpability. Others he told himself it was the disease that ate away at him, sapping his strength. The crimson beetles that had hunted them in their escape had some secondary attack, designed to take down a target even if they couldn’t tear them apart. Only one beetle had managed to gore him before Madara whisked them away from the swarm. But it had done enough damage to his forearm to leave a lingering scar, before he’d managed to pull it out and kill it. The sickness it left behind crept in his blood, and Itachi would never be as strong again as he had been at 13.

But on his worst days, when the world wavered and he head to hold onto what he knew to be real by the skin of his nails, he let himself doubt. On those days Itachi cast his thoughts back to the memories he kept buried, trying to remember what had convinced him to act. He remembered the panic, the despair, and knowing he would have to side with the Village over his Clan should the coup ever become reality. He remembered that the council couldn’t be trusted, but not who told him so. Worry that they would order him to kill Sasuke, that the Hokage would wait too long to act, that if he waited the situation would be unsalvageable.

He couldn’t remember approaching Danzo to make a deal, only the meeting that followed. He remembered the man had wanted Sasuke, tried to hide it behind promises to keep Itachi’s brother safe, and he remembered refusing. No matter that Danzo was the only one else looking at the situation clearly, he would destroy Sasuke, and _that_ Itachi would never allow.

He would keep his brother safe no matter the cost. Even if he had to hate him, even if he had to convince Sasuke to hate him in return. His brother had to become the hero, so he couldn’t just disappear.

So Itachi had to kill, steal, and maim, all to infiltrate an organization even Danzo feared. He had to fight to keep his dying body moving forward, spying on those who had once been friends, undermining villages he should have been supporting, just to live long enough to die at his brother’s hand. Soon Akatsuki would gather all the biju, Nagato would fall and Madara would return to power. Then Konoha could sweep in to claim their victory, and Sasuke would be the hero, left to choose his own fate.

Itachi couldn’t remember how that plan had come to pass, why he’d chosen this way, but he would follow until he couldn’t move anymore. He just wished he could get that Aburame out of his head. The one he was so _sure_ had sent the swarm after him. The one who looked so familiar that it hurt, even though he’d never known anyone from that clan.


	2. Memory

He’d forgotten. Obito couldn’t believe he’d forgotten something like that. But he supposed when he buried his past so he could fight Kushina and Minato-sensei without regrets it made sense some things might have slipped through the cracks. Well, nothing like running for your life from a swarm of man-eating beetles to jog your memory.

Not that he’d thought the rumors of an Aburame defence were true. He’d honestly sort of assumed Minato-sensei had been lying when he said Mr Shibi was the strongest shinobi he knew. That it was something he said to cheer up a friend and give Obito something to look forward to. After all, Shibi was the one everyone overlooked, only bothering to notice him to compare him unfavorably to his more famous comrades. Everyone knew the Aburame were weak, that their kikaichu ate so much of their chakra that they had to rely on the insects for every battle.

Now he was wondering if there wasn’t some Uzumaki ancestry somewhere along the line. How much chakra did it take to control a swarm of flesh-eating insects? Ones that had been living, _dormant_ , under Konoha for almost a century?

He wasn’t sure he could even get close enough to use Kamui on the man without getting eaten or drained. Which is why Shibi was rapidly moving up his “People to Avoid Until This is Over” list. Somewhere around Kakashi and Onoki.

What he _was_ certain of was that any invasion he planned when they got to that point, the bugs would have to go first. Somehow. What did it take to get a ninja exterminator on staff?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... Obito isn't having the best day either, but at least he knows what his day was about.

**Author's Note:**

> For the record, I blame Danzo. 
> 
> (I commented on Tumblr about this right after I finished writing it, but the series was incomplete. Sorry it took so long to post.)


End file.
